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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · cabinet · safe · toast · hand · bass · clip · pitch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — a video
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — to cut
  16. hand — help
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — completely
  19. clip — for paper
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. toast — bread
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com